The Supreme Court has asked the Centre why departmental action cannot be initiated for misconduct against top ranking army officers, who have pleaded guilty and let off with minor punishment for their involvement in illegal sale of arms.

A bench, headed by Justice HL Dattu, was not convinced with the argument of the Attorney General that letting off an officer with Rs 500 fine as punishment or censuring him in no way took away the tag of conviction and throughout his career, he is convicted in the eyes of law, the army and never gets promotion.

The Attorney General said that the proceedings initiated since 2007 on a PIL cannot be turned into an appeal for directing retrial of those, who have already pleaded guilty and have been inflicted with punishment in various forms.

The bench asked the Attorney General to return with the answer, when the matter will be heard again on the 14th of next month.